Water 101: Water Resource Planning in Southern California

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Water 101Water Resource Planning in Southern
California
February 22, 2007

• Presentation by
• Gene Talmadge
• Las Virgenes Municipal
• Water District

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Presentation Objectives

• Inform you of
• Background of Current Water Use in California
• Sources of Water
• CALFED Program
• Colorado River 4.4 Plan
• MWD Reliance
• Local Supplies (surface, groundwater, other)
• Water Resources Planning

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California Water Use
Major Urban Areas 7 Use
Major Ag/Environ. 56 Use (Environmental is ½)
(Ocean flow - 36)
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Sources of Water for Southern California
Federal Projects
State Projects
Local Projects
North - 75 Rainfall South 75 Usage
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Southern California Water Supplies
Colorado River
Local Supplies (includes ground-water)
Metropolitan Water District
Owens Valley Aqueduct
State Water Project (San Francisco Bay-Delta)
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Southern California Water Supply Million Acre
Feet/Year (MAF/YR)

• Planned Current

State Water Project
4.2 2.4
1.2 0.55
Colorado River
0.48 0.37
Owens River Aqueduct
5.88 3.32
Difference is 2.5 MAF/YR. City of Los Angeles
with 3.5 million residents uses 0.6 MAF/YR.
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CALFED The Bay Delta
all roads lead to the Delta
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(No Transcript)
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CALFED Solution Area
Solution Area

• ½ of Delta Water flows through San Francisco Bay
• 2/3 of Water for CA residents flows through the
  Delta
• Delta is vital link for water transfer and
  habitat
• Delta channels carry water to pumps for transfer
  south

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Whiskey is for drinking, water is for
fighting (Mark Twain)

• We need a long-term solution
• Water Quality
• Environmental Restoration
• Water Supply reliability
• Water Use Efficiency
• (Conservation)
• Balanced Needs vs. Requirements

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The Colorado River
15 MAF/Yr Planned Allot.

• Lower Basin
• CA 4.4 MAF
• AZ 2.8 MAF
• NV 0.3 MAF

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Colorado River SupplyCalifornia 4.4 Plan
Priority
1 Palo Verde
2 Yuma Project
3.85 MAF/YR
3a Imperial Valley
3b Coachella
4 MWD
0.55 MAF/YR
Californias Legal Right
4.4 MAF/YR
5 MWD
0.66 MAF/YR
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California 4.4 Plan Transfers

• IID/SDCWA Transfer
• 75-Year Agreement (200 KAF/Yr)
• Ramp-up Provisions for 15 Years
• Preservation of Salton Sea
• Other MWD Transfers
• Kern Valley
• Sacramento Rice Farms
• Palo Verde Valley (to SDCWA via MWD)

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Colorado River QSA(Quantification Settlement
Agreement)

• Many Players
• MWD, U.S. Dept. of Interior, IID, DWR, SDCWA
• Issues
• Funding Costs 1.5 Billion
• Environmental Salton Sea Restoration
• Water Supply Interim Surplus Guidelines from
  Dept. of Interior
• Water Quality Perchlorate, salinity
• Conservation/Transfers IID 150 Million

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Historic Dependence on MWD
Average Drought Las Virgenes 100 100
(Thousand Oaks similar) San Diego 75
85 Los Angeles 15 40
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Desalination

• High Cost vs. Other Sources
• 420/AF vs. 800-1200/AF
• Energy Intensive
• Siting (Power and Intake/Outfall)
• Environmental Impacts to Coastal Zone
• Unlimited Supply from ocean
• Clean Brackish water for conjunctive re-use
• Infrastructure Improvements
• Pipelines, Tanks, Pumps

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Legislation/Bonds Water and Land Use

• SB221/SB610 (Jan. 1, 2002)
• Reference to Water Code, Sec. 10910
• gt500 d.u.s written verification from water
  purveyor of availability developer responsible
• Regional, Urban Water Management Plans - define
  real water supply (WET Water, NO Paper Water)
  
• Water Supply Assessment after I.S.
• Water Supply Verification in EIR

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Bonds/Legislation Water and Land Use

• Prop 50 - 3.4 Billion
• Fenced moneys
• CALFED
• Develop New Water sources
• Recycling and Conservation
• Run on 200M for QSA
• Prop 84 (2006) - 5.4 Billion
• Funds water, flood control, natural resources,
  park and conservation projects
• Integrated Water Resources Management Plans
  (IWRMP)

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Water Supply Assessments

• Water Code Sec. 10910-10915
• CEQA requirements
• Consideration for EIR, MND, ND
• If supply questionable, must be addressed in CEQA
  document
• Tie to adopted Urban Water Management Plan for
  water system

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Water Supply Assessments

• Definition of Project (Sec. 10912)
• gt500 D.U.s or 500 ksf comm. office
• gt500 rooms for hotel
• gt650 ksf, 1000 people, gt 40 acres for industrial,
  man., processing plant
• Any use demanding more water than 500 D.U.s
• Public Water System
• Piped water serving gt3000 connections
• Means the whole system delivering potable water
  to the public

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Water Supply Assessments

• Project description (similar to CEQA)
• Summary of water supply sources
• Water supply entitlements
• Firm water service contracts
• Surface water storage
• Desalination or other supply (RW)
• Groundwater (BUT description of basin,
  adjudication, legal rights to pump, historical
  basis for pumping)

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Water Supply Assessments

• Existing demands (UWMP)
• Future demands (AF/yr)
• Compare Supply vs. Demand over 20 year period
• Normal year, single dry, multiple dry years
  analyses of supply vs. demand (like UWMP)
• Analyses include residential, commercial,
  industrial, and agricultural demands

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Water Supply Assessments

• Decision on water supply adequacy for the project
  lies with governing body of the water agency
• 90 day period to complete WSA (30-day extension
  authorized)
• If water available no further action

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Water Supply Assessments

• If water NOT available
• Water agency provide plans for acquiring new
  supplies to meet demand
• City/county show plans for acquiring additional
  water supplies and measures to do it
• Costs and financing costs to acquire supply
• Identify all permits, approvals, or entitlements
  to acquire additional supplies
• Findings in EIR saying whether or not sufficient
  water supplies available

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Water Conservation Measures

• Landscape irrigation efficiencies
• Low-flow fixtures in the house (including
  showers, toilets, washers)
• Leak detection
• Wise uses of water water budgets
• Effective use of storage
• Use of Recycled Water (irrigation purposes and
  groundwater replenishment)
• Desalination development conjunctive re-use and
  recharge of groundwater basins

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SUMMARY (page one)

• Reliance on Imported Water
• Conservation is Key
• Re-Use important
• Desalination Options
• Costs

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SUMMARY (page two)

• Reliability, quality, storage
• QSA and Outcomes (Salton Sea)
• Link Water Supply to Land Use
• Legislation and Bonds
• Integrated Regional Water Management Plans
• Water Supply Assessments

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Thank You!!! Gene Talmadge [phone] gtalmadg
e_at_lvmwd.com